Vongola no Mago
by UuenTheYueRyuu
Summary: AU. Tsuna becomes the tenth heir to the Vongola Clan, a famiglia of youkai whose purpose is to keep peace among youkai clans and protect the weak youkai, and his first assignment is to find his six Guardians before another war breaks out. What Tsuna didn't expect was to fall in love with the Head Prefect. 2718 (in that order). Disclaimer: KHR not mine!
1. Chapter 1

So, as I have explained in the last chapter (which is now deleted along with the other chapters), I wanted to take a different approach on this story. I apologize if this is not to your liking.

By the way, the pairing is 2718, not 1827. Hooray for Uke!Hibari and Seme!Tsuna!

…

"This..." He peered down at his hands—translucent hands—and the town of Namimori peered back at him like a silent query on why his feet were not on the ground, a command to return to his bloodied and mangled body at the intersection.

"It can't..." His words died in his throat.

The intersection was where a truck was indented by the corner of a wall, shattered glass lay scattered about like the fallen petals of a tree in bloom, and crimson liquid splattered on the pavement from its sources: three bodies; two of which were dressed in black along with once pristine white shirts. The last body, the one responsible of it all, was a mere blub of red and blue...his face had been torn off by an oversized fragment of the windscreen.

He told himself this was impossible; his life couldn't end like this! That wasn't him. Kusakabe was not there either under all of that rubble, his body draped over him in a makeshift, futile shield. The S.I.C. was still in school finishing his patrol duties...right? Yes, he assured himself, he was at home, asleep, and having a dream. Nevertheless…

Two red armbands, each entirely opposite in direction of the other, embroidered in gold with the now-dead passion—"Discipline"—ripped to shreds, said otherwise.

His shoulders slumped, hands going to shield his face from the world. There was nothing he could do to reserve it—he couldn't rewind time so he would never have left his paperwork at school…and Kusakabe would not have set off to find him and to later attempt to shield him from the impact, only resulting in the death of both…so he could have decided to take the shorter route home…and the driver would not have been distracted with his fallen sunglasses and swerve the vehicle in the direction of him…He felt the emotion of helplessness overwhelm him.

_But, if I am dead, where is Tetsu if he is dead as well?_

"Kyou-san!"

He dropped his hands to his sides and swirled about in his location midair. His ribcage throbbed, reminding him of the injury that killed him. His metallic azure eyes hardened to their usual glare.

A trail of blood dripped lazily down the temple of the man before him, a strand of grass hanging from the corner of his mouth. It wasn't the blow to the head that killed him; it was the force of the vehicle cracking his vertebrae into multiple sections. He smiled, a sigh of relief relieving the stress in his brown eyes. "I finally found you." His gaze traveled up and down the shorter man before him, inspecting every detail—the fluffy, orderly disheveled, obsidian locks, the below average frame, and gentle features were deceiving, veiling the massive strength of lean muscles. He couldn't find anything from this angle. "Are you alright? The injuries sustained from the accident followed into the afterlife, it seems, along with what we usually carry with us. Ah, but my back for some odd reason has healed, and my armband is in tatters."

He turned around slowly, his ribcage protesting against the movement, and, replied in a near-mumble, "Tetsu, you speak too much." The armband clipped to his fluttering suit's coat barely hung by a dangling piece, the gold thread stained by a brownish red.

Kusakabe's eyes widened to considerably high levels. "K-Kyou-san, your back!" He stepped closer (though, that was rather unnecessary since there was no ground to walk on) and, in a delicacy he reserved for fragile objects, ran his fingers down Hibari's back; blood collected on his skin.

The slight flinch of Hibari did not go pass his perception.

"Leave it be. We're going." He stepped forth, head tilted down to admire the bird's-eye view of precious Namimori.

Kusakabe knew better than to oppose his leader's orders. Though, he secretly wondered if it was possible to die when one is already dead. _Where are we headed to? The school?_

Hibari's blood oozed down his back, down his legs, bubbled under his shoes, and then dropped like in ruby raindrops. It fell upon roofs, staining them with the essence of the Protector…_Who will protect Nami now from those troublemaking herbivores?_

They walked in silence for quarter till an hour until a voice from below drifted to them, breaking the ephemeral peace. It was loud enough for the entire town to hear. "Yo~! Why don't you come down here?! I can't fly 'cause I am not a ghost, you know?!"

Kusakabe, uncertain, looked from the person who seemed to be a mere spot of black on the center of a street to Hibari. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Umm…ah…Kyou-san, I think he is talking to us."

Hibari ignored him.

He sighed. "I'll go ask what he wants, so please wait here." He blurred into nothing, only to reappear before the source of the voice, a tall man (Kusakabe guessed him to be about the same age as Hibari) dressed in a standard uniform for 'kendo', a bamboo sword hanging by a string on one shoulder, with the broadest grin Kusakabe had ever seen; he was handsome, to say the least.

Hibari kept shuffling along, unwavering gaze set on Nami Middle.

The man's smile broadened, showing off pearly white teeth, a contrast to his greying skin. "Ya, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, a 'walking dead' of sorts. I have a place I am staying at; I'm sure Tsuna won't mind if I bring you along. Do you mind?"

Kusakabe offered a gentle smile after taking a gander of the skylark above. "Kusakabe Tetsuya. I won't mind going if you don't mind me staying. I'm not sure if Kyou-san will…" As if to prove his point, he motioned towards Hibari with his eyes.

Yamamoto followed his gaze, smile leaving to be replaced with a curious glow in his hazel irises. "Oh" was all he could say, puzzled by the mere presence of this "Kyou-san" person—it felt like waves of power were spilling off him in such a casual manner, and, if one perused closer, the waves would be shown to have an interesting texture: violet puffs of clouds that reached out and in in every direction to devour anything and everything that stood in their way. He scratched the nape of his neck. "I'll give you the address so the both of you can come when you please."

He nodded his agreement, a piece of paper materializing in his hand from nowhere as Yamamoto spilled the details.

…

Liquid rose in his throat, and he lifted a hand to his mouth as coughs began to shake his frame mercilessly, eyes pinched closed. He curled further into himself, the coughs incessant, trying to find a comfortable position on the leather chair. 'Bad idea…!' His broken ribs poked further into his lungs, a keen flare of pain brewing as blood continued to seep through his ripped skin_…Does the blood flow never halt? I should be drained entirely of blood by now._

"Hey, do you hear that?"

Hibari held his breath, suddenly feeling like an intruder in _his_ room.

"Hear what?"

The door clicked open. "Sounds like coughing and wheezing. No one is supposed to be in the Chairman's room right now." Four figures stepped into the room.

Hibari could recognize those four men anywhere: Disciplinary Committee members, all modeled after the Vice Chairman. Nevertheless, that did not stop him from crawling off the chair and towards the window, a hand behind him in the ready to open it and exit the room.

"Uwa~h! Why is it so cold in here?" He rubbed his arms, breath ghosting before him.

The coughs were surfacing again. He struggled against them, making moisture collect at the corner of his eyes and turning his cheeks a pinkish hue, to no avail—they came out louder and harsher.

All jumped, eyes wide and lower lips beginning to quiver in fear as they took a few steps towards the only exit in the Reception Room.

"That-that's definitely not my imagination, right?"

His companions nodded their affirmation.

Bereft hesitation, he pivoted on his heels and dashed towards the door, screaming from the top of his lungs in a tone better suited for a girl.

The other three also deemed it best to abandon their manliness and turned tail.

_This is certainly going to spread rumors._

"Tsu~na~!"

"Baseball Idiot, lower your voice! The Tenth should still be at school!" A man of silver hair and startling emerald irises stepped out from a room, a deep scowl marring his otherwise soft features. "What do you want?"

"Hayato, I think I found new additions to the clan." He rubbed his chin, finger tracing the vertical scar there. He laughed, lips curling upwards into their usual grin. "One of them may be to Reborn's liking."

Hayato raised a curious eyebrow. "Really?" One of the feline ears sported on the top of his head twitched as if picking up a distant sound. He turned towards the room he came from. "Oi, Stupid Cow, keep your dirty hands away from the icing!"

A child shrieked—something that sounded like "gupya"—and a clatter of metal-hitting-metal and scrambling feet resounded after.

Yamamoto nodded. "You should've seen his aura; it rivals Tsuna's in his _youkai_ form."

His brows knitted closer, sharp teeth glinting under the dim lighting as he growled. "The fuck?"

…

Hibari heaved a heavy breath. Was so much energy supposed to be sapped out of him by coughing when he was clearly dead? He opted to hover in a lying position instead of touching anything with his back; he thought he would phase through stuff, but, as it seems, that was only a superstition of humans—he could touch, move, and feel everything and anyone. He simply could not be seen.

Lovely.

He huffed, a frown passing briefly over his features. _When did I develop sarcasm?_

"Kyou-san?"

He hummed his reply.

"Is it really alright to stay here?" Kusakabe peered at the droplets of blood on the floor, wondering if the living world could see that. "I mean…why not accept the offer?"

Hibari glanced at the other prefect from the corner of his eye, lips set into a thin line of boredom. Words were not needed to verbalize his opinion on that.

Kusakabe sighed. "I understand."

Silence passed for several minutes.

"Kyou-san?"

He hummed, eyes drifting shut.

"I'm sorry…"

His eyelids remained closed. "What for?"

His hands fisted around his pants, brows furrowing. "For not being able to guard your back properly, for not being able to do much for comfort but just be here, for not—"

"Tetsu, you talk too much."

_That's as close as a "you're forgiven" I'll ever get_. His lips curled upwards slightly. "Thank you."

Despairing wails and screams echoed down the hallway and into the Reception Room.

Kusakabe chuckled darkly. "It seems our deaths have finally been found out."

"So it does." Hibari turned so his mangled back faced Kusakabe. He drew lazy circles on the air. "Tetsu."

"Yes?"

"…Never mind."

Kusakabe tilted his head to the side, puzzled—Hibari was never one to begin a conversation to simply end it with a "never mind". That was considered that to be herbivorous, a crime that loud often lead to a tonfa-colliding-with-a-skull, "death by biting", in other words (the words of the tonfa-wielder, to be more precise). "If you say so."

"Accept the offer of that herbivore."

"E-excuse me?" He blinked. _Say what?_

Hibari tilted to the side his head to scowl at him. "I won't repeat myself. Don't stutter. It's herbivorous."

"Y-ye—" He cleared his throat. "Anon, sire." He straightened his legs, wincing slightly at the pricks that stabbed at them from the lack of blood-flow. _I guess some human aspects still retain in this life._ He swiveled about on his location, his body beginning to blur into space, as he said, "I'll be back before sundown."

"No. Until quarter till two."

His eyebrow twitched. _That's in fifteen minutes!_

A flare of violet ignited suddenly, pushing at its surroundings mercilessly, nearly making Kusakabe loose his balance. "Get to it, or I'll arrest you."

Kusakabe didn't need to be told twice before he was strangled to death by shackles (even if he was already dead) and a spiked tonfa was shoved down his throat.

…

He stood there awkwardly, gaze traveling all about, inspecting every nook and cranny, feet shuffling uncertainly. He never knew such an old, traditional mansion existed in Namimori; he knew everything and everyone that lived in this town like the palm of his hand. But this…

The mansion rose above the height by a story or two of the bamboo forest cluttering about the outside walls; the wind blew by, and the wood creaked as the bamboos' foliage made a gentle _shaa_, green fluttering to the ground and collecting with the rest of its fallen, browning partners. The mansion spread out wide and long by several hundred feet, yet it was eerily silent and dark—there was no croak of a frog or a twitter of a bird—like an ink painting drawn centuries ago.

_I have five minutes left before I get bitten to death._ He stepped closer, gulping down the lump forming in his throat, and raised a hand just as the gates swung inwards. A carriage—the kind thought to be extinct in this time—veiled by the whitest mist rose into the air, a heavy gust of wind accompanying it till it suddenly disappeared into nothing. He stared at the sky, where the carriage had disappeared without of trace of ever existing.

"Ah, Kusakabe Tetsuya from earlier, right?"

Kusakabe slowly twisted his body into the direction of the familiar voice, and, without a doubt, there was Yamamoto Takeshi, arms hidden in the sleeves of his dark blue _yukata_ and folded over his chest.

"Welcome to the Vongola Mansion, where supernatural beings of all kinds are honored to live in under the direct rule of Vongola Decimo, who is more commonly known as Sawada Tsunayoshi; Tsuna, for short." For emphasis, he bent at the waist, arm swinging to the side as if presenting the structure crawling with spider webs.

But Kusakabe could definitely hear it now: the vivacious chatter and laughter accompanied by muffled music, the faint sound of a waterfall, and the chime of bells dancing with the breeze. He blinked, mesmerized by the soft burn of candles in floating lamps. Like a practiced reaction, he unconsciously bowed his head in return, mumbling a "sorry for the intrusion" as he stepped onto the stoned section of the ground.

Yamamoto chuckled, amused by the baffled reaction of the prefect. He beckoned Kusakabe to follow him inside, and, when Kusakabe finally snapped out of his trance and followed him, he asked, "So, did you manage to convince your friend?"

He nodded. "You could say that."

A soft hum echoed throughout the hallway. "This place…it is to my liking."

Startled, Yamamoto and Kusakabe pivoted on their heels.

He whistled, entranced—obsidian locks ordered in a disheveled manner framed a porcelain face to perfection; a tattoo resembling a skylark pocked from behind a white shirt, alluring one to simply stare at the man's collarbone. But what captured him most were the azure irises that swam in a hue of silver—they seemed to glow with a piercing glint. He was left speechless by the surreal beauty of the man.

"Kyou-san, I thought you would wait at Headquarters until I returned?"

Hibari shrugged casually, gaze never leaving from its inspection on the painted vase set as décor under a scroll inked in a deep orange with the kanji for "harmony". "The Committee was crowding, crying their herbivorous eyes out," he explained, voice laced with annoyance.

It was briefer than brief, but the flash of discomfort and sadness was not missed.

The S.I.C. smiled, eyes tinted with sadness. "I'm sure you'll get to bite them to death later, Kyou-san." He received a huff in reply.

Yamamoto sauntered over to Hibari and circled round and round as if admiring a masterpiece, arms still folded over his chest. He stopped in front of the skylark and extended his arm, his grin never leaving its respected place. "Yamamoto Takeshi. A pleasure to meet you."

Hibari peered at Yamamoto's hand, and Kusakabe had a fear the Head Prefect would decide to bite the hand off. Rather hesitantly, he grasped Yamamoto's hand with his own as he gave a curt nod of the head. "Hibari Kyouya. Be an herbivore, and I'll bite you to death."

Shaking his hand, Yamamoto laughed. _What an amusing guy._ "It's a deal, then."

Kusakabe wanted so badly to protest. _He doesn't know what he is getting himself into! He'll die! He's going to die!_

Hibari released his hand, a pleased smirk gracing his lips. "Keep it." He walked past Yamamoto, acting as though he knew the place like the back of his hand as he made his way down the corridor to his left. _I smell meat_.

Yamamoto jogged to catch up to him, dragging Kusakabe by the arm along with him. "Where are you headed to, Kyouya?"

Hibari stopped in his tracks, making Yamamoto nearly collide against him. Not glancing anywhere but in front of him, he threatened, venom spilling over every syllable, "Call me that again, and I'll arrest you till you can't recognize your face." He continued his casual gait.

He shivered—he has only known one person to promise death so certainly and so colloquially with such a fearsome aura before. The stutter in his speech was inevitable. "T-then, 'Hibari' is fine?" He deemed the silence an affirmation.

The bubbling of liquids and sprinkling heat of the frying of food resounded from behind the door Hibari decided to stop in front of. He slid the _shoji_ to the side, declaring, "I'm taking over the kitchen. Get out."

Kusakabe could only sigh, hand sliding down the side of his face in a stressed manner. _Kyou-san, please remember we are guest here and not tyrants…_

Nevertheless, there was no arguing against anything Hibari deemed to be under his possession.

Yamamoto chuckled, following Hibari into the kitchen. "What an interesting friend you have, Tetsuya."

Instead of asking politely for the person (or was that a werecat of some sort?) stirring what looked to be a purple stew—which Kusakabe knew was _not_ supposed to be colored in that hue—Hibari kicked the man on the side, making the latter stumble a few steps.

"What the fuck!"

Hibari narrowed his eyes at him. "Foul language will not be tolerated in the kitchen."

Yeah, Kusakabe knew that was step two of Hibari's domination of territory: the announcement of the edict.

"Why you—!" His emerald irises, annoyed to near rage, flashed towards Yamamoto. "Oi, Baseball Idiot, who is this bastard?!"

He laughed. "It's the guy I was talking about before; one of the guys that I met earlier, remember?" He glanced at the supposable stew cooking on low fire. "I think it's a better idea to let him do whatever he wants with the food, don't you think? It turned purple this time." He turned towards Kusakabe as if asking for his opinion on the matter.

"_This time"?_ He shifted nervously when all eyes were set on him. "Ah…well…Kyou-san cooks well, so…umm…might as well let Kyou-san do as he pleases…?"

Gokudera clicked his tongue and opened his mouth to give his opinion on that matter.

"_Maa_, Hayato, let someone who knows how the chemistry of food works cook until _Mamma_ returns from her anniversary trip with _Pap__à_."

Gokudera gave a growl in protest, yet he handed the spatula to Hibari in a none-too-gently way. "_Fine_."

A whiff of a satiated smile curled Hibari's lips. "Herbivores, out you go." He pulled his sleeves above his elbows. "Lunch will be done in forty minutes. Interrupt me, and you shall be arrested and deprived of food for the remainder of the week."

…

"Hibari would make a good wife! That was as good as _Mamma_'s cooking."

"Ah, I don't think Kyou-san would appreciate being bound to anyone in any sort of way."

"Gyahaha! Lambo-san thinks Hibari should become my servant and bake grape cakes only for me!"

A nervous sweat glided down his temple as he turned to look in the direction of the child situated across from him. "Lambo-kun, please, for your safety, don't say that in front of Kyou-san…"

Lambo pound his fists against the table, and the plates clattered. "No, no, no! Hibari will become Lambo-san's minion!"

The brunette next to the child pursed her lips as she placed her hand on Lambo's forearm, effectively halting the ponding. "Lambo-chan, if you want cake, you have to ask nicely. Tsuna-san said so. Haru remembers, don't you?"

A vein on Gokudera's temple throbbed. "Stupid Cow, _shut up_ already."

"Oh, Tetsuya, where did Hibari go?" Yamamoto raised a clump of rice held by ceramic chopsticks into his mouth.

Kusakabe paused his chopsticks, suddenly realizing something. "What time is it?"

"Ten after three," grumbled Gokudera as he shoved a piece of meat into his mouth. He swallowed bereft much chewing. "Why?"

"Kyou-san goes on patrol at this point of time." _Old habits die hard, I guess?_

Haru stopped herself from drinking. "Hahi? 'Patrol'?"

He nodded. "Yes, he patrols Namimori regularly, punishing those who 'disrupt the peace'."

"Eh? The police hire underage?" Yamamoto twirled a chopstick about between two fingers. "I thought Hibari was sixteen."

Kusakabe shook his head. "No, Kyou-san is not a policeman or sixteen. He is eighteen and Head Prefect of Nami Middle."

Gokudera nearly spit out the rice he was eating. "The hell? Isn't he too old for junior high?"

"Kyou-san doesn't attend classes there," explained Kusakabe. "Besides, he would have finished his college classes for Business this year had it not been for…" He looked away, feeling like he had spoken too much of private matters. He shook his head. "Never mind Kyou-san. Sawada Tsunayoshi, was it? When will he be returning?"

Gokudera immediately pipped up at the mention of Tsuna, feline ears perked high in attention. "The Tenth should be arri—"

"E-everyone!" The sliding doors were slammed to the sides, and a brunet stepped into the room, hazel irises glazed and rimmed with moisture. The puffy, autumnal locks upon his head bounced slightly as he moved briskly towards the table. "Hi-Hi—" He hiccupped, and the tears spilled down his roseate cheeks.

Almost automatically, Gokudera and Yamamoto stood, their arms wrapping around the brunet. "Who was the bastard that made you cry? I'll blow him to bits!"

"Hold a sec, Hayato; don't jump to conclusions yet." He leaned down as he swept a thumb under the brunet's eye, clearing away the tears. "What happened, Tsuna?"

Tsuna sniffed, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Hi-Hibari-san…is dead. Ku-Kusakabe-san, too!"

Kusakabe cleared his throat, effectively capturing Tsuna's attention.

His mouth fell open. "E-eh? Kusakabe…san? But-but they said—"

He held his hand up. "I am dead. And so is Kyou-san."

"T-then, if you are here, Hibari-san is…?"

The soft stomp of lazy strides filled the silence that followed, a sense of dread befalling Tsuna. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, for the crime of being late to school—"

Tsuna kept his head firmly set in front of him, shoulders tensing. _Please don't say; please don't say it!_

"—_I'll bite you to death_."

…

Please excuse any and all mistakes in grammar/spelling.


	2. Chapter 2

"Th-this is so not fair…I curse it." He threw his hands in the air, head tilted back to groan at the sky. "I curse my life!"

"Herbivore, stop your pathetic act. You're too loud." He pointed at the untouched meal before Tsuna with a chopstick. "Start eating. I won't tolerate you being late or wasting food under my watch."

A vein on his temple throbbed. "Hibari-san, it's five in the morning. Aren't I up too early? School starts in three hours."

His azure irises turned violet as he narrowed his eyes. "I won't repeat myself." Nevertheless, he said, "You will be accompanying me on my patrols from now on." His glare relented, his irises returning to their original tint.

With a resigned sigh, he picked up his chopsticks and clapped his hands together as he mumbled his gratitude for the meal.

Hibari stood up, picking his used plates in the process, ordering for Tsuna to hurry; he only had five minutes left.

Tsuna shrieked. _Already?! Why can't I ever eat breakfast without it being stolen or having to choke it down in world-record?_

The splash of water and the squeak of foamy soap echoed from the kitchen to the dining room. It stopped. Hibari's baritone drifted into the room in the fluidity of smooth velvet: "I'll wait outside. Be late, and I'll bite you to death again."

Tsuna's head ached simply remembering the force of the blow of a "bite" he received yesterday. _It should be "beat to death", not "bite to death"._ He swallowed the last of grains of rice as he stood hastily up. Running into the kitchen with his dishes, he placed his stuff in the sink as he shrugged on his messenger bag on his shoulder and over his chest. _I'll wash my dishes later…if Gokudera-kun doesn't do them before I do, that is._ He ran out the house, nearly forgot his shoes in the process, and almost bumped into Hibari as he closed the gates behind him.

With a slight frown and a downwards curl of the lips, Hibari announced, "You are one second late. Expect proper punishment later." He twirled around, the coat on his shoulders flapping behind him. "Let's go."

Reluctantly, Tsuna followed, a sort of creeping shiver crawling down his back—the woods at night always gave him a fright, especially since he knew _there was_ something there…something he most definitely did not want to discover what it was. He pulled at the hems of his scarf, cold pricking his cheeks and nose till they colored a light pink. "Where are we headed to?"

A wet cough past his lips unnoticed as he glanced from the corner of his eye at Tsuna—not down, mind you, but up. _The herbivore grew taller than me._ He didn't want to admit even to himself that was a blow to his pride as a carnivore—he remembered two years ago he was able to see the crown of the brunet's head. But…he had forgotten all about the herbivore that never failed to arrive late to class every morning; Tsuna had moved on to high school while he stayed behind, protecting what he loved most of Namimori. He mentally shook such thoughts away. Instead of speaking (for he knew the endless flow of blood was surfacing up again) he pointed with a tonfa at the general direction of their destination.

Tsuna, being one with a bad sense of direction, could only stare at Hibari, a weird sense of concern brewing in his chest. "Are you alright, Hibari-san?"

Hibari pretended to clear his throat to wipe away with the back of his hand a trail of crimson that had begun to dribble out from the corner of his mouth. He ignored the question since he never was one to answer such things. _Herbivorous things_.

He shifted the strap of his bag closer to his neck. His vision went from Hibari to a random tree continuously until he mustered enough courage to inquire further. "Is it…umm…you know…from the accident? I know someone who might know someone who can help you with…ah…that."

Several coughs responded him.

Tsuna pursed his lips, not liking the feel of being ignored. "Hibari-sa—"

His shoulders tensed, mind stuck between accepting the offer to receive help and finally rid himself of his injuries by sucking up his pride or suffering of constant coughs, the staining of everything with his essence if he ever accidentally rubbed his back against a surface, the discomfort of sleeping in midair as the autumnal breeze wrecked his body temperature, the flare of pain—_ah, curse it. The pros and cons are too off balance. _"Sawada Tsunayoshi, if you speak of this to anyone, I'll arrest you."

He blinked. "Eh—are you accepting my help?" He watched in mild amazement as a blush bloomed on Hibari's cheeks. _W-wo, so cute…!_ He blanched. _I did not just think that!_ He coughed awkwardly onto his hand, a blush of his own shading already pink cheeks red. "Th-then, when will you be free today?"

The color on his cheeks slowly dissipated as he replied, "After the morning patrol." He narrowed his eyes at Tsuna, his irises changing hue. "Don't plan on using that as an excuse for skipping school."

_There it is again: his eyes turned violet. _"After school?"

He softened his glare as he tilted his head back to the road in front. "Afternoon patrol, which you're coming to."

_Ah, they turned blue again; what's with that, anyway? _"R-right. Umm, how about after that?"

"Depends on the time."

_Don't tell me there is also an evening patrol?_ "Right after that patrol, perhaps?"

He huffed. "Fine."

Two girls—one of auburn, long hair with golden irises and the other of shorter, dark hair and purple irises—turned the corner, the auburn-haired one giggling as the other blushed shyly. Both wore the uniform of Nami High.

Recognition instantly dawned on Tsuna. "Chrome-chan, Kyoko-chan!"

"_Kaichou_, good morning."

"Morning."

"Good morning." He chuckled, a smile gracing his features. "You can call me 'Tsuna', you know, Chrome-chan?"

Chrome shifted nervously, looking away from the glittery substance Tsuna was emitting.

"Tsuna-kun, what brings you so early here?" Kyoko smiled, depression obscuring her laugh. "Hibari-san would have loved to see you arrive at school on time, don't you think?"

Tsuna took a brief gander at Hibari, suddenly realizing he was the only one able to see the Head Prefect. He fumbled for an excuse. "Y-yeah. I—err—thought I should do this in name of…of his memory, I guess."

Hibari fought the urge to roll his eyes as he huffed. _Idiot._

Chrome blinked, raising a hand to point at Hibari. "But Hibari-san is—"

"Ahh! I better get going; I have some paperwork of the Student Council to finish." He took Hibari's hand, waving at the startled girls behind him. "See you in school!" Not waiting to hear their reply, he quickly turned the corner, making Hibari almost trip over a crack in the sidewalk.

He heaved a sigh, hand over his chest as if to calm his rapidly pulsing heart. "That was close. I forgot Chrome-chan had that ability."

Hibari wrested his hand away from Tsuna's. "Don't touch me."

Tsuna blinked. "Sorry."

He huffed, folding his arms over his chest as he raised a curious brow. "You are the Student Council President?"

Shifting nervously as he scratched the nape of his neck, he blushed, chuckling with obvious discomfort. "Reborn forced me into it, saying it was training for being the next leader of the Vongola. Ah, I don't know how or why I was elected as the president." _Reborn probably threatened everyone...as usual._

"The Infant did?" He shrugged. "I have no objections, then." He turned around and proceeded to cross the road, not minding the cars that phased through him as he went by like the vehicles were not even there. _Being a ghost is useful at times._ Hibari stopped once he reached the sidewalk, raising his voice above the noise of passing vehicles. "Hurry. I don't have all day."

Tsuna ran after him after looking both ways for any incoming vehicles. Once they continued their stroll, he inquired, "Hibari-san, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Reborn?"

Hibari yawned, a hand politely muffling it, moisture collecting at the corners of his eyes. He rubbed away the moisture with the back of his hand, a tired moan slipping past his parted lips. "I met him a few years ago."

_God, why does he look so cute?_ He blinked at his own thought, paling. _How is this tormenting tyrant cute?!_ He shook his head, inwardly chiding himself for conjuring sentences that contained "Hibari" and "cute" simultaneously. "He didn't do anything weird, right?" _Please tell me Reborn did not do anything to Hibari-san._

The skylark remained silent for several minutes, his head swiveling to and fro alley to alley, checking for anything miscreant. "Sawada Tsunayoshi."

_W-what did I do this time?_ "Yes?"

"You speak too much."

His eyebrow twitched. "…Is this your way of saying 'shut up', by any chance?"

Hibari beckoned him closer, and, when Tsuna leaned down to his level, he said, "I would tell you to shut up if that is what I meant, or—" His eyes traveled to Tsuna's luscious lips. His tongue darted out of his mouth to moisten his lips. _Or I could do _that_._

"Or…?"

The cacophony of glass breaking resounded from the alley to the right, the bovine steps carrying their owners becoming louder with each stride they took. "Well, well, if it isn't _Dame-Kaichou_." Two young men—hair bleached in lime green, blue, and gold and styled into mohawks; school shirts open to reveal shirts décor with crude slangs; and pants hanging low littered with chains—sauntered closer to Tsuna, to the point where they were practically breathing down Hibari's neck unknowingly.

Tsuna's lips curled down in distaste, brows furrowing. "What do you want?"

The taller of the two sneered, "Yah got the fucking guts to tal' back now?" He spit on the ground, disgustingly near Tsuna's shoe. He snarled. "_Shitting brat_."

Hibari nudged the brunet with the end of a tonfa. "Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna glanced at Hibari as a silent query.

"Improper uniform and foul language will be tolerated under no circumstances." He folded his arms over his chest. "However, I can't touch humans."

Panic rose in his chest. In a whisper, he said, "Hibari-san, it's against Vongola law to ever exert harm on humans. Reborn will have my head if I so much as accidentally bump into someone in the hallways at school."

The other one curled his hands around Tsuna's shirt, lifting the brunet till Tsuna stood on the tips of his toes. "The hell did yah say? Improper uniform and cursin' won't be tolerated?" He shook Tsuna from his grasp, sending the brunet tumbling a few steps back. "What? Now that that Hibari Bastard's dead, you think you can take the bastard's fucking place? The Committee is a'ready crumblin' without his fucking presence. Imagine; if _you_ become Head, you'll send all of fucking Namimori into fucking hell."

_That's more "fuck"s than I hear Gokudera-kun say in six hours._ "I haven't said anything."

A vein on his temple throbbed, threatening to burst at any moment. "Herbivore, I care not about your edicts. These herbivores deserve punishment."

"Hibari-san, as I said, I can't do that." His eyes widened, and he mumbled a curse. _I forgot to say that in a low voice…_

They crackled with laughter. "I don' see the fuckass anywhere but the cemetery. Did yah loose a screw in the head or somethin'?"

At first, he thought it was because he had recently died and some of his life energy remained that the Committee members were able to hear him, but now he was certain he could be heard as though he was actually part of the living. A smirk played on his features. "Herbivores, you'll be sent to the cemetery if you don't shut up and follow the rules."

The taller of the two snapped his head in all directions, eyes widening in horror and knees commencing a terrible shaking—Tsuna's mouth had not moved. "Wh-what—" He gulped. "I'll be damned…!" Bereft a second thought, he pivoted on his heel and ran at full-speed in a zigzag manner, hollering something about the existence of ghosts and revenge.

The last of the two did not bother with his manly pride either as he mimicked the other's reaction.

He burst out laughing, clutching his sides from the intensity of it. "You—" He snickered, gasping for breath. "You are amazing, Hibari-san!" His laughter began to die down to a chuckle. "I don't think you need my help much; you scare them just with your voice."

"An herbivore should know its place under the rule of a carnivore."

A droplet of sweat dribbled down his forehead. "Right…"

Hibari yawned, hand (as always) politely over his mouth. He turned the corner, and the massive building of Nami High School was the panoramic view. _I've never been in Nami High._ He twisted his body towards Tsuna. "Give a tour of the school."

"For you?"

"Who else, Herbivore?"

He blinked, rather confused. "I thought you had already been to Nami High. I mean…I see D.C. prefects all the time here."

Nodding, Hibari sauntered towards the school, Tsuna following right at his side. "I send them here to keep order. I stay at Nami Middle."

Tsuna tilted his head back to stare at the greying sky, a sort of contemplating air befalling him. _Hibari-san seems to be rather talkative._ He smiled as he tilted his head back to its regular position. _I like it_. "I'll be more than glad to show you around."

…

He stretched his arms over his head and his legs as far as they could go under the desk, eyes clutched close in a moment of bliss as the first bell of the day rang. He chuckled to himself, recalling how Hibari trailed behind him, eyes wondering curiously and inspecting every detail—so scrutinized was the school, Tsuna had a mild suspicion Hibari was even perusing every last grain of dust—as they passed countless classrooms, the libraries (Tsuna had absolutely no idea why a school needed _three_ libraries), the gyms, the unused Reception Room, and the Student Council Room. Hibari had refused to go the lunchroom, giving a half-assed excuse of it being crowded. "Hibari-san," Tsuna attempted to reason, "not even the teachers are in school yet." He was ignored, of course. _And, in the end, Hibari-san apparently forgot all about the morning patrol_. Tilting his neck back so as to stare at the blank ceiling and his chair's front legs to leave their safe stand on the floor, the long strands sprouting from his shorter locks draping like a smooth cascade from their previous rest upon his shoulder towards the center of his wooden chair, he mumbled, "I wonder where Hibari-san went."

Raven locks invaded his vision, a set of cerulean irises staring an unnerving apathy into titian ones. "Sit straight. Class commences."

He almost lost his balance and clattered to the floor if he had not already been accustomed to such surprises (courtesy of a certain Spartan tutor); instead, he jolted out of his seat, and the chair suffered the fall alone, hand over his mouth to muffle his shocked shriek, which had only become more feminine as the years went by, the opposite to the few, lower octaves his voice had adopted. "What are you doing here?" whispered he, albeit loud enough for those close to hear, causing them to turn Tsuna's way, eyebrows arching when they found the brunet speaking to the air.

"_Kaichou,_ are you going delirious? No one is there."

Tsuna gave a façade of a laugh, nervous sweat beading on his forehead, as he forced a smile towards the brunette sitting diagonally from him. "I—ah—thought I saw my—umm…mother."

Hibari clicked his tongue, voice lowered, mindful of the fact humans could hear him. "Have you been told you suck at lying?"

He shot Hibari a dirty look, puckering his lips.

The door to the class slid open, and the students scrambled to their respective desks as though the icy flames of hell had been ignited. A tall man dressed in an onyx suit along with a matching fedora obscuring his already obsidian irises, with peculiar sideburns of the twirl-iest curls; a yellow pacifier hung around his neck and rested over his chest. The professor placed the stacks of papers he carried onto the desk, the jolting that resulted startling the students. "Inutile students, as usual, don't bother standing and bowing; I may just make you kiss my shoes instead." He pivoted on his heels, polished soles squeaking, and roamed his gaze over the classroom, searching for that empty desk of the student he could torment for arriving late/being absent. With slight dissatisfaction, he found all seats to be taken…and a humanoid silhouette hovering behind Sawada Tsunayoshi. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards into a smirk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence in my classroom, Hibari?"

Confused, the students—barring Tsuna, for he was gulping in fear, hoping Reborn would not suddenly decide to murder him—turned this way and that, searching for this "Hibari" person; the only Hibari everyone knew was gone from the living, so it obviously had to be someone with the same name…right?

Hibari gave a curt nod in greeting, a smirk of his own already in place.

Reborn mimicked the action and then set his stare-almost-glare on Tsuna. "Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna heaved a resigned sigh. "Understood."

It remained the mystery of the day who Reborn had so kindly—"kindly" was an adverb barely used to denote an action of the Spartan tutor—welcomed—he usually kicked (literally) anyone who disrupted his teachings out of the classroom.

…

"I've had my eyes on you since the first time I saw you, Hibari."

Said object of interest had no response to that.

Reborn smacked Tsuna upside the head.

Wincing, Tsuna shot him a dirty look. "What was that for?!"

"He stays no matter what." His lips curled further, obsidian irises glinting with mirth as Tsuna paled at his next words. "As a Guardian, of course." He tapped his chin contemplatively several times. _I wonder what kind of trial I should make Hibari undergo._ He chuckled, a plan that shall not be revealed to the reader brewing majestically in the corrupted section of his mind. "Now, what colour do you like best, Hibari: yellow, indigo, or purple? Yes, I think purple suits you best; good choice. Mind being a Guardian? Glad you don't." He paused momentarily. "How about courting? Really? I thought you would have dated someone by now. I'll fix that for you."

Reborn was formulating answers (even if some were right) to the random queries that made no sense with the topic of discussion (if it could even be called that), not bothering once to allow for him to give his opinion on the matter of staying in the Vongola Mansion with mingling, boisterous, aggravating, foul-mouthed herbivores and how he desired to handle his social life—it pissed Hibari off to no end.

…

Yay…update~…so…tired…nine past…three in the morning…lovely…

Please ignore any and all grammatical/spelling mistakes.

Ah, I am planning on a Monster Tamer Tsuna x Hibarin (in that order) fic. Would anyone be interested in reading that? I would appreciate your opinion!


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, update!

I'm sorry for the long wait! My computer had a system failure, so I had to retype this chapter.

…

The clock ticked its seconds by, the _tick-tock_ louder than a continuous explosion in Tsuna's ears. He scribbled his signature, a messy and bereft-elegance crawl of words that went a few centimeters down the line, ending it with a harsh point at the end and an excited vault to his feet, arms stretched high over his head. "Done!" He lowered his hands to his hips, a wide grin plastered on his face, while chuckling triumphantly. "One week's worth of paperwork all in one day." He sighed happily. "Be proud, Spartan tutor of mine, of your student's great accomplishment."

Hibari snorted—a huff, really, but it sound like one to Tsuna—as he straightened his standing position. A splotch of crimson was left behind on the wall. "You took too long."

He puckered his lips to the tiniest slight, brows knitting. "You didn't have to wait for me until I finished." He pivoted on his heels to face Hibari, blanching at the sight of blood smeared over the white paint. He pointed at said work of art authentically made by the essence of the skylark. "Hibari-san, you left your blood on the wall."

Humming in question, he turned his head to peer behind his shoulder and then returned to stare at Tsuna. "Can humans see it?"

_That's what I have been wondering, too. What if someone saw the blood Hibari-san dropped as he followed me around school? Probably gave them a fright, or they thought it was ketchup or something._ "I'm not sure."

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Then, leave it as is."

Tsuna sighed. "Alright." Reaching behind him, he took the jacket draped over the back of the chair and as he leaned to the side to grab hold of his schoolbag. He hung the strap of the bag on his shoulder, lips slipping into a smile. "Shall we head home?" Hibari, however, instead of heading to the door, sauntered towards the window, causing Tsuna's eyebrow to rise in a questioning manner. "What are you doing?"

The lights flickered on and off several times, a cool breeze dropping the temperature to extreme levels as the windows cracked ever so slowly like a slithering snake. Tsuna cursed under his breath, a soft puff of white ghosting before him. "Hibari-san, you should step away from the windows."

A gentle, violet glow was emitting from the skylark's irises, the light dancing on his cheeks playing with the shadows of his long lashes. His gaze was glued to the dark world outside; he showed no signs of ever hearing Tsuna.

He furrowed his brow while swiveling around the desk and towards Hibari, stopping next to the latter. "Hibari-san?" He tapped the skylark's shoulder to draw attention, only succeeding with receiving a side-glance. His concern heightened when the thin, almost invisible, violet clouds perpetually surrounding the skylark increased in volume with each second the clock gave as dark, intricate markings curled symmetrically their way down the high cheekbones of Hibari, extending towards the corners of his eyes and halting halfway down his cheeks. Tsuna stared with gradually increasing-in-size eyes, amazed and entranced.

"There is someone—no, something outside," Hibari informed just as the light bulbs suddenly burst into hundreds of fragments, the light going off in a way that was certain to steal the sight of those who see it.

Tsuna groaned. _Those were new…_He stepped closer, gaze traveling in the direction of Hibari's. He did a double take—there, perched on the roof of the gymnasium, peering right up at them, was a distorted figure, long, obsidian strands conceal the expression of the being, the wind fluttering its traditional dressing in all directions. He gulped, a trail of cold sweat dribbling down the nape of his neck. _It has no feet…!_ The violet clouds causing Hibari's and Tsuna's reflection to be cast on the surface window were surely giving the creature a perfect view of the only inhabitants in Nami High. The clearing of his throat was much too loud in the deafening silence. "Umm, Hibari-san, I believe _now_ is the time to leave."

Hibari twisted about on his spot to face him, lids narrowing. "Sawada Tsunayoshi."

_Ah, he said my name._ Tsuna gasped softly as their eyes locked, feeling like his breath was stolen by the surreal beauty of the skylark's irises. Determined to break the eye contact, he looked lower, only to pale considerably at the emotions stirring in his chest when he caught sight of the skylark's lips—they were a silver dipped in a gentle purplish pink. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat, mentally cursing at the stutter in his voice when he spoke: "Y-yes?"

"What is that thing?"

Tsuna visibly deflated at the question, the tension that had settled on his shoulders hovering away. He sighed. "An ayakashi most probably, I think." He took a gander at the creature outside. "Or it might be a youkai, considering it's what probably made the light bulbs to burst."

Hibari seemed to flinch at the mention of the mess on the floor. "That…may have been my fault."

He gaped at Hibari, whatever words he had dying before they even formulated a coherent thought in his mind. He shook his head, the long locks lazing down his back following the motion. "Never mind the lights bulbs; what's with your appearance?"

Tilting his head to the side, he echoed slowly, "'Appearance'?"

A light blush shaded his cheeks. _C-cute!_ He blanched at his thoughts. _The hell is wrong with me?! _The _Hibari Kyouya cute? He used to beat me up so badly I had to spend days in the hospital!_ He cleared his throat, yet his blush only increased its intensity. "Yeah." He pointed with his thumb at the window. "See it for yourself." When Hibari did, he added, "I may be wrong, but, considering your _youki_ and—" He looked away, crimson spreading till the tips of his ears."

"And?" Hibari prompted as he turned back to stare _up_—that still pissed him off—at the herbivore.

"Well—ah—you know, your appearance." He shook his head, mentally slapping himself in the process. He sighed, running fingers through his autumn-dyed locks to gather the long strands and drape them down his shoulder; caressing the long strands (rather unnerved when Hibari followed intently the motion of his hand while a frown came and went as the skylark noted the length of Tsuna's hair), he said in a sort of mumble, "I'd say you are a youkai; you're too strong to be labeled under 'ayakashi'." He laughed. "As I thought, Hibari-san is just too awesome!"

His lips stretched into a smirk, the violet of his irises flickering between a silver azure and a violet. "Too strong and awesome, you say?" He chuckled as he raised a hand to curl it around the fluffy strands belonging to Sawada; he yanked harshly, and Tsuna, giving a more startled than pained squeak, was caused to incline till their mouths were mere millimeters apart. "Careful with what you say, Sawada Tsunayoshi, or I may just bite you in a way I am not usually compelled to." He released Tsuna and gave a few steps back, smirk never leaving its graceful place. "Herbivore, tell me: is it against school regulations to have long hair in Nami High?"

"No…?" To say the least, Tsuna was puzzled beyond the farthest extensions of the universe.

The creature, in the end, was forgotten in the background, forever secluded to the loneliness of the no longer interested minds of Namimori's only Head Prefect (even if said person was no longer part of the human portion of the world) and Namimori's only Student Council President.

…

"K-Kyou-san, what's with that appearance?"

"Hn." Hibari peered into rooms as he passed them down the hallway and up several floors, perusing each, Tsuna and his two herbivorous subordinates (along with Hibari's own subordinate) right at his heels. What was he searching for? That's what Tsuna inquired, yet the brunet only received a side-glance as a reply from the skylark after the twenty-something-th _shoji_ he had slid open and then closed after a quick inspection.

_What kind of fucking answer is that?! _Gokudera, who had situated himself with much too vigour at Tsuna's right when the latter arrived at the Vongola Estate, halted from twisting his eyes, instead opting with the usual furrow of the brow. "We ask because we don't know, so spit it out already!"

Tsuna jabbed Gokudera on the side with an elbow, a frown of his own marring his soft features. "Translation: I don't know. That's what Hibari-san means, Gokudera-kun," whispered he.

"Keep your trap shut, kitty." Hibari added a scowl for better effect, closing the door to yet another empty room.

"Ki—?!"

"Umm, Hibari-san, what are you looking for?" _That's the third time I asked that...'wonder if he'll answer me._

With something akin to a sigh, Hibari halted, the puffs of violet flaring as if the breath the skylark released was a strong wind storming through them. He pivoted on his heels to face Tsuna, the raven jacket upon his shoulders fluttering in protest. "How many reside here?"

Tsuna blinked, somehow feeling nervous under the unrelenting violet gaze. "Ten, if you count you, me, Reborn, and my parents (who are currently on an anniversary trip right now, by the way)."

The narrowing of his lids was accompanied by a darkening of the face, the clouds expanding rapidly as if a small replica of an explosion. "The presence of more than ten different beings linger here, enough to be above several hundred."

Eyes widening, he exclaimed, turning to Gokudera's and Yamamoto's way, "Someone else who can sense it! I told you it was possible; I'm not crazy!" He pivoted on his heels and launched himself forth, arms wrapping around the smaller frame belonging to Hibari, the latter darkening several shades of red, the brunet nuzzling against the juncture of the skylark's neck and shoulder with a dazzling smile stretching the corners of his mouth upward. "I like Hibari-san now!"

The werecat took on an appalled expression, face draining of all colour. "N-no, Tenth, you mustn't! Please, choose me instead!"

Yamamoto roared with laughter, clutching his stomach; Tsuna, on the other hand, tilted his head in confusion, resting his head on the skylark's shoulder; Kusakabe mimicked said tilt of the head, but, not a second later, realization caught on to him, a small "o" shaping his mouth. "Whatever do you mean?" questioned Tsuna, a pucker beginning to form on his lips. "I can't like Hibari-san?"

"Herbivore, get off me this inst—"

"Actually, stay like that forever—it'll aid my plans for you two." He dipped his fedora. "Greetings once more, Hibari."

Giving a curt nod, he replied, "Infant, beauteous night." His blush relented in the slightest, the flare of purple surrounding him dwindling down to near invisibility, his irises returning to their native colour; the markings upon his features (along with the silverfish hue of his lips), however, remained intact. "This purple stuff is what? And the markings."

The sort of smirk Tsuna tends to fear and avoid conjuring by any means necessary (even if that meant running away with the girl-iest—which, by the way, was a harsh blow to his manly pride—shriek he could muster) spread on Reborn's face, a glint playing with the light reflecting in deep obsidians. "You'll figure it out soon enough." A growl emitted from his stomach. "Food ready? I might start hunting down humans soon if I don't get my meal."

"Hypocrite!"

Lids narrowing to dangerous levels, he growled, "Mind repeating that, _Dame-Tsuna_?"

Laughing uneasily, Tsuna straightened his position, arms dropping back to his sides. "I-I was just saying what a lovely tutor—"

Loud stomps carried a man sporting the strands more golden than the sun in its brightest day, frantic breaths telling of a long run, burnt sienna irises maddened with concern. "Tsu-Tsuna!" He halted before the brunet, bending at the waist to rest his weight upon his knees, golden strands falling to veil reddened cheeks. The silken robes cladding him were ruffled, exposing the skin of a shoulder and a sculpted torso, strange tattoos poking from behind the several layers of clothing littered in intricate patterns.

"D-Dino, what's wrong?"

He fell upon his backside, reached within a sleeve to procure a folded paper, and extended his arm for Tsuna to take the letter. "I found this"—he gasped for breath—"at the steps of the Northern Cavallone Shrine." A trail of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "The seal restricting Rokudou Mukuro's _youki_ has been broken. That letter is his revenge—he wants this Hibari Kyouya person if we want for him to keep his clutches from reaching the Vongola and Cavallone."

"Dino-san," Yamamoto informed, his expression devoid of its previous cheerfulness and marred by a troubled frown, "there's one problem with that. Hibari Kyouya is—well, will be the Vongola Cloud Guardian. According to Reborn and Tsuna's recently new liking for Hibari, that is."


	4. Chapter 4

Dino blinked slowly, tilting his head back to stare at Hibari with timid interest, the other rebounding the stare with triple the intensity. "You must be someone amazing if you're actually on Reborn's 'Like' list." He turned his head to the side, his golden locks brushing over the skin of his shoulder as a faint recognition of the skylark settled in. _…I know him. Isn't he Kyou-san, the _bocchan_ from the household behind the shrine south of Central Square?_ muttered the back of his mind. He shook away those thoughts. _That's not important right now._ He settled his gaze on Tsuna. "What do we do, then? Your Clan is not even complete yet, Tsuna—you know how powerless an incomplete _famiglia_ is in the face of society—so requesting help from the Millefiore and the such will be turned down without a second glance, probably—"

"—leading to the discovery of the Vongola's current weakness, which will in turn start a war. I know; I know." Tsuna threaded his fingers through his hair, untangling a few knots he encountered along the way, eyes closing with a sigh. "But Hibari-san was considered part of the Vongola the moment he set foot in this mansion; that goes for Kusakabe-san, too. So"—he revealed his eyes, showing off the new determination ignited in them—"send word back to Mukuro of our negative to that deal of his."

"Herbivore," growled Hibari with a narrow of the eyes, "stop deciding things without my opinion on the matter."

Tsuna twisted towards Hibari, a gentle smile already settled on his lips. "The problem with that, Hibari-san, is, if you decided to go along with Mukuro's deal, I'd forcefully tie you to a chair with the strongest chains I can find; and I don't care how much of a fight you'll put up."

Noticing the inception of bad-mood, black tentacles draping down Hibari's shoulders, Reborn clapped his hands together twice, effectively drawing the attention of all. "We'll talk about this tomorrow. For now, I want some food and sleep." He stepped forth, but a hand clasping around his upper arm had him stilled. He traveled his gaze up the length of the arm holding him in place, amazed there was enough strength to actually halt his movements in such a slender frame. "Speak quickly, Hibari; I'm hungry."

Hibari released Reborn's arm to cross his own arms over his chest, a deep scowl marring his features. "I'm not planning on finding out later what these weird markings on my face and this purple stuff are. What are they?"

With an almost roll of the eyes, Reborn clicked his tongue. "Ruining the fun…" he mumbled before raising his voice to reply his answer. "Don't try scrubbing away the markings—they're part of your skin now. The 'purple stuff' is just your aura becoming accustomed to this dimension." He looked up and down Hibari, lips slipping into an amused smirk. "I've never seen one's aura react so strongly when emotions are stirred before aside from my useless students'." He waved his hand about in a dismissive manner. "I wouldn't worry about it, though; you'll have complete control over it eventually."

"Whatever," he huffed, believing and not believing a word of it all. He turned, heading towards the flight of stairs.

With a shaky sigh, Tsuna faced Dino, extending an arm for the blond to take. As Dino accepted the offer and stood while brushing and fixing at his garments, he asked, "Want to join us for dinner? Hibari-san's cooking is delicious."

Dino laughed, hazel irises twinkling mirth. "As delicious as Maman's?"

He returned the laugh. "You'll have to eat to find out."

…

Upon awakening at the appointed time a certain bird had set for him (miraculously), his first instinct was to peer around himself, believing the mostly ominous presence of the Head Prefect had somehow (again) wondered into the confines of his room; peering from a corner where the silver of the moon did not quite reach. He was quickly proven wrong, however, when he found the room to be devoid of any being aside from his self—and that was enough to put him on edge. "Hibari-san?" he called out, tentative, despite knowing no presence lived in the same floor level.

Of course, because the darkness definitely does not have a mouth of its own, no answer came.

Heaviness sunk into the pit of his gut, cold sweat moistening his palms. He shook his head shortly after, convincing himself it was just his brain overreacting to the discussing held after dinner several days ago, when Dino had stumbled in to deliver an urgent message. Rokudou Mukuro was not _at all_ his favourite conversation topic, after all; just the thought of said person freely strolling down a random street in the same town he lived gave him creeping chills. His thoughts were opposing what he was telling his gut—the heaviness settled with a definite _thump_. He whimpered mentally. _Something horrible is going to happen today. I can practically feel it in the air._ He sighed, rubbing a wrist at a closed eyelid while sliding away from the fluffy covers of his bed. "Just…please, _please_ don't let it fall on Hibari-san's shoulders," he prayed to whatever deity governed over the luck of skylarks. _Even if he doesn't seem to notice it himself, he's hurt enough in more ways than one already._ After standing, he sauntered towards the flight of stairs at the far end of his room, descended, and traveled down the long hallway towards the flickering light peeking through the aperture left by an ajar _shoji_.

He poked his head past the frame, fluffs of brown dancing with the downwards tilt of his head, titian irises shimmering with nervous concern when he found the one he was searching for was not in the kitchen—_Hibari-san is always in here at this time._ He stepped in, clearing his throat. "Good morning, Kusakabe-san; have you seen Hibari-san?"

Kusakabe twisted about to face Tsuna. "Ah, Sawada-san, it's unusual to see you up so early. Good morning, too, by the way." He contemplated Tsuna's question for a few moments, setting the cup held in his hand on the counter to his left. "Don't worry about the patrols, if that's what this is about. On Saturdays, Kyou-san likes to take a stroll around this time."

Tsuna blinked, confusion furrowing his brows. "But today is Friday."

"No, today is definitely Saturday. All of the multiples calendars I have say so."

"But…yesterday was Thursday…I mean, even if today was Saturday, I should be able to recall the events that occurred the day before, and I don't remember taking my physical education exam, which are always on Fridays."

Kusakabe mimicked Tsuna's frown. "Well, now that you put it that way, I don't remember patrolling the Center Square, which I always do no matter what on Fridays' evenings."

"This," concluded Tsuna with a deeper frown, "is weird." The heaviness dragging like a boulder chained to his ankle fell upon his shoulders, slumping them forth with dread. Panic flared in his chest, burning his throat to a cold dryness, as he pivoted on his heels, shouting behind his shoulder he was off to locate Hibari's whereabouts and requesting for everyone else to do so as well under the command of his word, Vongola Decimo and current ruler of one the most influential _famiglie._ "I have a feeling Mukuro is going to get Hibari-san now that he knows Hibari-san belongs to the Vongola" was what he added as he paused at the kitchen entrance, and that was enough to snap Kusakabe out of perplexity to action. He ran out, passing a yawning Gokudera on the way, and nearly tripped over air as he made a sharp turn to the left, almost slamming into Yamamoto's chest.

"Tenth? Wait up!" Gokudera was quick to tail Tsuna, brushing his shoulder against Yamamoto's as he followed by.

"Tsuna, Hayato, where are you going?" Grinning from ear to ear, he jogged effortlessly behind said two.

With an annoyed click of the tongue, Gokudera turned his head to scowl at Yamamoto. "None of your business!"

He chuckled. "I contradict. Besides, you have no idea why or where to Tsuna is running either, do you?" Ignoring the splutter of protests tumbling out of the silveret's mouth, he hollered, "_Oi_, Tsuna!"

"Whatever it is, Yamamoto, spit it out, please," Tsuna bellowed back, sliding door after door till the dawning, outside world zoomed into view. Not bothering for his shoes or going through the hassle of descending stairs, he vaulted, landing with a soft flutter of air as though his bones were as hollow as a bird's; his navy yukata rustling along the wind. "I'm in a hurry to find Hibari-san."

Gokudera and Yamamoto mimicked their superior's actions, catching up to the latter's pace with ease. "Find Hibari?" resounded Yamamoto from Tsuna's left (for some odd reason, he always found himself positioned on this side of the Decimo).

Emerald irises lustered in frustration. "What for? The Bastard's not worth your time, Tenth," grumbled Gokudera.

Giving a disheartened sigh, "I don't know about that, Gokudera-kun…there's-there's something…_alluring_ about Hibari-san that I simply cannot shake off."

Gokudera jumbled mixed syllables, incoherency muddling his train of thought.

Whistling lowly and adding a knowing smirk, Yamamoto sang, "Love—I smell it in the air."

Tsuna's shoulders stiffened, crimson complimenting his creamy cheeks. "Wha—it's not like that!" He puckered his lips. "Geez, we met a little over a week ago." _Well, technically, we met four years ago, but three years of that range were all forgotten without a trace of recognition, apparently._

Laughing, "That's what they all say, Tsuna; that's what they all say."

…

Kusakabe-Lookalike Number One chortled, wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye. "I remember that day like it happened yesterday."

Lookalike Number Two sniffed pitifully, dropping an arm heavily upon the shoulder of Lookalike Number Three, drooling his tears into the crook of his arm. "Kyou-san," wailed he, "I have preserved the bruise you gave me for the first time in my life—it still hurts like hell!"

Hibari watched from the higher perch of his windowsill, a sort of awkward sweat beading on his temple. You see, Hibari Kyouya once had an assumption: the DC members were all masochists—there was no other reason to explain why the Kusakabe-Lookalikes would follow him about like a bad case of pneumonia, and Hibari had pneumonia more times than he could count with two hands; he knew _exactly_ what he was talking about. There were many times, however, when he preferred to turn a blind eye at the true nature in his subordinates, but times like these were really…

"I still haven't fixed that broken rib from two months ago," Number Three perked up, giggling at the end. "I sleep on that side, reliving in my dreams the sensation of my bone cracking in two and Kyou-san's cool expression of anger. Ah," cooed he, "I'd break that window over and over again if I can get the Chairman to notice me once more!"

…_tempting to smash a spiked tonfa down the throat of the first herbivore I see._ "Idiots."

"Oh!" cried Number Four; "I can hear the Chairman's celestial voice!"

Number One drew spiraling, invisible doodles on a window, peering down distractedly at the game of baseball on the fields below. "I loved how the Chairman's face would paint a fine blush on his perfect cheeks whenever he exhausted himself training everyday under the setting sun, the sunrays lacing around him to form wings of an angel." He shuddered in delight. "The epitome of a carnivore, really."

"I wonder," Number Five muttered loud enough for all to hear, "if this is all a nightmare…if Kyou-san and Tetsu-san are just playing a sick sort of joke on us and are actually alive somewhere in Namimori, waiting for us to finally realize this is all a ruse…I wonder—" Tears clouded his vision, lower lip along with his shoulders quivering as a sob rippled past his throat.

Nonetheless, despite the…_weirdness_ of his subordinates, Hibari admitted with a sad tint in the eyes he missed every last second of it. And he would give anything and everything if he could live just one more day among his loved ones (though he'll never announce he actually had affection for those whom loyally tag behind him, even if said affection was mostly seen as a colourful display of violence). _Just one more day…_

A tap to his shoulder distracted his silent mulling, halting the torment of emotions compacting and constricting his mind ever so slowly. With a glower settling onto his features for being interrupted in his musings, he lashed out instinctively a handcuff protruding with spiked, sharp points. A hand halted his movements, much too strength gripping his wrist; startling him to drop the shackles when heterochromatic—one the colour of a deep azure and the other of twinkling blood—eyes peered down at him. A second hand slammed on his shoulder, shoving his back against the metal edge of the window. Pain flared upon collision, blood sprinkling onto the cruel surface from his already battered back; white flashes blinding his vision momentarily. Pale, pink lips curled into a smirk, a pair of pristine wings fluttering behind a slender back to keep their wielder hovering. The hand upon Hibari's shoulder moving to grip the skylark's throat to a choke, "I finally have the pleasure of meeting you, Hibari Kyouya."

The man's voice was much too mellifluous and velvety smooth for Hibari's taste, so fake it dripped with concealed, venomous emotions. "Who are you?"

"God of samsara—as the Hindus call it"—he tightened his grip around the skylark's throat—"the same god your family has kept sealed generation after generation in that _shrine_." He spat the last word with such contempt Hibari wouldn't have been surprised to see it spontaneously combust from every surface it had been scribbled on.

"Rokudou Mukuro," whispered Hibari, not wanting to be overheard by those inhabiting the Reception Room.

Mukuro raised a slender eyebrow. "Oh? So you know my name."

Hibari had no response to that, gaze drifting to those part of the living as his hand wondered to the backside of his belt, searching for his favourite choice of weapon; but his fingers only brushed air. He internally panicked—he left his tonfa on the counter before the mirror in the bathroom. _Fuck._

His mismatched gaze followed the skylark's, amused the other had the audacity to look away when in his presence and in such a defenseless position. He chuckled—a strange sound of _kufufu_—shortly after, however, when a plan conjured perfectly in his mind. "Tell you what," he began, bringing back Hibari's attention; "I'll give you something of mine that will allow you to become visible to those petty humans there."

Narrowing his lids suspiciously, "In return for what?"

Oya, _I hit the spot._ He shrugged casually, releasing the raven's throat to reach into the inside of his kimono and pull out a small vial half-filled with a glittering liquid of transparency. "It's all yours in return for _nada_."

"Nothing."

"Absolutely nothing," he asserted as he extended out the vial for the skylark to take, smirk quirking to life once more when the skylark snatched the item with bereft hesitation.

He flicked the lid off with his thumb, tilting his head back to allow the surprisingly warm essence to ooze down his throat and be devoured by his system despite the tiny voice at the very back, secluded section of his mind telling him that perhaps there was a possibility of death even in the afterlife.

Suddenly, his lungs choked in their air as he listened to the ribs of his back crack further, liquid he could only identify as blood by its metallic scent dribbling over his skin, absorbed by his shirt. He gasped for breath that wouldn't come, an acerbic burning pulsing through his veins till he was convinced he had sprung into flames, and into flames—violet flames—he did. He felt his strength depleting at an alarming quick rate, his balance already lost as he tilted to the left and out the window, feeling the wind rush by until scraping branches of bushes below cushioned his fall. He could barely muster a blink up at Mukuro. "What…is…"

"The blood of a type of _youkai_ bird. _Youkai_, you see, if they are Feared enough by humans, are just as visible as the ocean to humans." He chuckled darkly. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it. After all, _dokutori_ are rather weak, ephemeral creatures, quite the opposite of the Hibari Family line, don't you think?"

His brows furrowed, hazy gaze setting into an unwavering glare. "You…you're objective…was never the—"

"—Vongola," he finished. He chuckled, his indigo strands styled weirdly like a tropical fruit swishing under a light breeze. "The Vongola and Cavallone were just an excuse to get to you, the last survivor of the Hibari after that particular fire about a decade ago."

Hibari knew from that day forth to never accept anything from a presence resembling a winged pineapple, even if longing desperation was crawling and clawing at his insides mercilessly—officially, he now utterly _abhorred_ the fruit with a passion. The foreboding words of _I'll bite you to death_ danced in the last shred of consciousness left, a muffled shout of his name by a familiar voice slipping in before black dominated with deathly greed.

…

Rather short, if you ask me.

Haha. Hibari should learn the term "don't accept anything from strangers", don't you think?

Oh, "dokutori" literally translates to "poison bird".

I am so, so, _so_ sorry for updating so late!

Please excuse any and all grammatical/spelling mistakes. After 28 May, I will be going over my works to edit minor details.


	5. Chapter 5

I am so, _so sorry_ for updating so late. Kill me…_please!_

Please excuse any/all grammar/spelling mistakes.

…

"Did you guys hear that?" Kusakabe-Lookalike Number Two stepped towards the open window, about to peer down when he caught sight of crimson splattered over the metal of the window slowly crawling its decent towards the wall. Horror-stricken with a great widening of the eyes and mouth falling agape, he jolted away, his shoulder blade colliding against the chest of Number Three, shrieking, "B-blood!"

Number One, being already in front of the window, halted his doodling to instead press his face to the aforementioned surface. His frame shook, the quivering rumbling across the window, and his mouth opened and closed, the words he wanted to formulate stuck in his throat, restricting his breath.

Number Four, noticing One's shaken state, peered over the latter, only to back away immediately after. Nausea growled in his chest, threatening to spill his body's contents. "Th-that's…" He pivoted on his heels and ran out of the room. "Kyou-san!"

As if the Head Prefect's name was an enchantment, the prefects lingering about the halls with depression slumping their shoulders snapped their posture into a straightened one, their feet already unconsciously trailing behind Number Four. Hope lighted their expressions, for no one had believed _the_ Hibari Kyouya could possibly ever die from something so small like fragments of broken ribs piercing the heart and lungs because there simply was no way the Skylark's ribs could ever be fractured—Namimori's only Head Prefect was, after all, invincible. Yet dread crept, stiffly cold; the way Number Four had shouted "Kyou-san" with such intense fear had them trembling deep within their bones.

As the many prefects began to gather at the area below the Reception Room's windows, three young men came into view, all wearing traditional dressings; two of which—one of silver hair with strange ears perched on his head and a tail sprouting from his lower back and the other tall and of short, chocolate hair—no one recognized, and the last of the three of fluffs of brown immediately everyone identified as the only Student Council President in Namimori.

Tsuna's heart thumped harshly against its confinements, ready to burst out and ignite everything in its path in flames as he inspected the many scratches marring that perfect, porcelain skin and the way the intricate designs upon Hibari's features curled, extended, and compacted to form different twists. He frowned. _The markings shouldn't be changing unless something caused Hibari-san's essence to…_He ground his teeth, black clouding to darken the aura about him and his brows furrowing further. _Mukuro…!_ Not bothering to veil his anger, his tone dropped a few octaves. "Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto, don't let anyone come close," he commanded as he scooped Hibari onto his arms, resting the Skylark on his thighs; his eyes widened. _He's lighter than Lambo._

The prefects crowded closer, and Gokudera swiveled around, feline ears flattened and tail swishing about, and hissed, "Back away, or I'll blow—"

Yamamoto stepped forth, clasping a hand on the other's shoulder, and gave a sparkling smile. "_Maa_, Hayato, calm down; I'll handle this." Seemingly out of thin air, a sword was drawn, its metallic surface dancing the rays of the sun to an evil tune, and held in an offensive stance; the smile had vanished to edge in a hardened expression, caramel orbs glinting. "First," he began, voice laced with a frightening yet entrancing monotone, "whatever you see or hear stays here."

A nervous sweat glided down Gokudera's cheek, brows knitted with annoyance. _If you're going to tell someone to calm down, then calm yourself down first, you fucking hypocrite!_

He took a step forth, and the prefects took a longer step back. "Second…second…" He blinked, lowering his weapon. "I forgot what I was going to say." He laughed sheepishly while scratching the nape of his neck, a light blush bringing forth some colour to his extremely pale complexity. "Sorry."

Gokudera smacked him upside the head. "Idiot!"

Tsuna inwardly sighed as he stood and faced the prefects, cringing when a chorus of disbelieving gasps and concerned shouts formed upon first sight of the precious Chairman; questions were thrown from here and there, left and right. The frown that had yet to dissipate darkened further, effectively bringing about a deafening silence. "I'm sorry, but I can't answer." He inhaled a deep breath to tranquilize his mood, and the frown disappeared without a trace to be replaced with a charming smile. "You're free to visit Hibari-san anytime, though."

His gaze traveled to the partially clouded sky, watching the fluffs of white drift aimlessly throughout the wide embrace of pale azure and the sun to scatter its heavenly rays about as it slowly ascended from its slumber behind the mountainous horizon. He released a long breath that condensed before him, and his titian irises grew dark till they seemed to swim in a red wine dyed with streaks of orange, his grip tightening every passing second—_Mukuro_, he promised,_ will pay greatly for hurting what is mine._

He decided he would ponder about the possessiveness later.

…

_You're free to visit Hibari-san anytime…That's what I said in the morning, but—_"How many subordinates does Hibari-san have?!" He yanked at his brown locks, expression that of horror. "No, more importantly, how did so many even find out?!"

The barrel of a gun was pressed to Tsuna's temple, a vexed clicking of the tongue following after. "Dame-Tsuna, lower your voice and go help Maman."

Maman, otherwise also known as Nana (or Nana-chan, courtesy of Sawada "Papan" Iemitsu), had arrived in the early afternoon from their anniversary trip with Papan, hearts and flowers fluttering like malformed butterflies around the couple, Nana skipping cheerfully and Iemitsu clinging to the former's arm while drooling on her shoulder as if in one of his drunken state; drunken by love, that is. Simultaneously, tens of dozens of prefects had been herding in to the mansion, stuffing in the many corridors till Tsuna was eventually able to lead all of them into the largest room of the first floor. So, Nana, noting the many guests, decided a feast was proper, and, then, sometime along the way, Dino and some of his many subordinates joined in along with Gokudera's sister Bianchi—resulting in the younger of the two siblings fainting upon first sighting of the redhead—and lecherous Doctor Shamal.

Tsuna still wondered who the person responsible for inviting even _more_ people was, but the hunch pointing its accusing fingers at his sadistic tutor had any complaints he so badly wanted to voice sealed away.

The mixing of humans and the _youkai_, Tsuna was sure, would certainly cause the world to quake before suddenly exploding into a million pieces.

Reborn halted himself from rolling his eyes. "The world won't end because of that, idiot, or it would have long ago when Primo's first child was born." He glowered. "Now, go help out in the kitchen."

The only protest Tsuna gave was a groan as he pivoted on his heels to saunter towards the kitchen, purposefully dragging his feet to stall time, but a bullet imbedding in the floor dangerously close to his foot had him sprinting for his life until he reached the safe confines of the kitchen. He leaned against the sliding doors, sighing in relief, and inspected his surroundings:

Nana stood to the side before the stove, humming and stirring the contents within a large pot. Iemitsu had the former within an embrace that gently squeezed her waist, his chest pressed tightly against her back as he murmured soft words on her neck after pressing a fluttering kiss, cooing when Nana giggled and blushed. (Tsuna blanched at them, sick from seeing their lovey-dovey display occur every moment he caught sight of his parents together.)

Bianchi—Tsuna couldn't thank the heavens enough for this—sat on a chair with Lambo on her lap, feeding the child grapes; Tsuna could only guess Reborn asked her to do this.

Yamamoto and his father (the latter of whom Tsuna was not aware was in the estate) were laughing about something Tsuna wasn't too curious about—it was probably a joke on baseball or kendo—while simultaneously making their famed sushi.

Several dozen men Tsuna instantly recognized as Dino's were to the right, each dozen working on a separate dish while chatting and occasionally chortling over a discussion of their boss' clumsy antics.

Three girls were to the left of Yamamoto and Tsuyoshi, mixing batter and rolling dough as they immersed themselves in a conversation.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the last group as he strode closer.

Immediately sensing his presence, they greeted him cheerfully.

Startled when recognition settled in, he queried, "Chrome-chan, Kyoko-chan, what are you doing here?"

Haru answered, "We became friends a few days ago at the cake store Haru usually goes to, so Haru invited them over." She shifted nervously, tugging at the hems of her skirt. "Haru hopes Tsuna-san doesn't mind…"

Tsuna smiled. "I don't mind." He turned to Chrome and Kyoko and bowed his head, the long strands resting on his back moving to drape down his shoulder. "Welcome to the Vongola Estate."

They returned the gesture along with a "sorry for the intrusion".

Chrome reached out to tap his shoulder, her gaze lowered and her lower lip being nibbled on before she gathered the courage to speak up. "We heard about Hibari-san." Her already soft voice became softer.

Tsuna's features darkened as he analyzed Chrome's words. If the current situation had swiftly spread faster than a rumor of the most popular and idolized student, then, surely, someone with the power to spread it so quickly had witnessed the morning's events, which left him with a problem: Hibari's death had been recorded, his body cremated and the resulting ashes buried with the rest of the Hibari family at the cemetery. Surely, because the Skylark was influential in the government, the rumor of Hibari being alive would cause officials and the media to pry, perhaps resulting in the discovery of the _youkai_ world and leading into a major uproar and fear from humans to the other worldly; Tsuna could perfectly envision the inception of a long, bloody war. His lips contorted wryly, brows furrowing, to depict his mild rage—whoever was behind this seriously had them in a pinch. Before anyone would notice his distress, he beckoned Chrome closer with a light smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Chrome-chan, where did you hear about Hibari-san?"

…

It was a strange sensation of weightlessness, as if floating even if the covers held him down, and a dull stabbing in his back that slowly faded to stuffiness as though something was occupying the space under his shoulder blades, ruffling and squirming as if wanting to spread and breathe in the outside air. He groaned at the unpleasantness and slowly blinked his eyes open, only to force them close right after when the moonlight momentarily blinded him. He raised a hand to snake it through his locks, feeling the soft texture of them and frustration eat away at his self-control—first, it was the lightest of sounds that woke him at outrageous hours of the night, and, now, the supposed-to-be gentle glow of the moon had him squinting as though he was peering directly at the flaming core of the sun. He huffed. _What's next? I'll be able to smell things from a kilometer away?_

A soft call of his name interrupted his train of thought, and, not wanting to be nearly blinded by the moon once more, he answered without opening his eyelids, "What?"

The doors slid open and closed on their own as Tsuna dressed in a red kimono of gold, intricate flowers marking every hem shuffled in; for the first time in the few weeks—or was it a few months? It certainly felt longer—Hibari lived in the Vongola Estate, the brunet had tied the long strands of his hair into a high ponytail that parted two ways to dance down shoulders, the golden brown so silky it almost blended with the cloth hugging Tsuna's form. Pink lips were already stretched into a smile; titian irises glittered their usual, strange manner that always managed to entrance the Skylark for a second too long. "How are you, Hibari-san?" he questioned meekly while positioning himself _seiza_-style before the futon the other rested on, but, despite the kind tone, Hibari was able to pick up a subtle rage.

Hibari countered, "What's the occasion?"

"A feast" was all he said as he raised a brow. _How did he know what I was wearing with his eyes closed?_

He extended his hand for Tsuna to take, and the latter immediately followed with the task of helping—that word seriously irked Hibari—Hibari sit up. Believing the moonlight was well out of his sight, his eyelids fluttered open, flicking away the essence of slumber that lingered. He cringed—the world's colours were suddenly too alive as if each had its own aura of its own…especially Sawada Tsunayoshi; what was with that strange orange radiating off from the Decimo?

Tsuna blinked when a mellifluous scent drifted into his senses. He sniffed, leaning closer to the source, only to back away in a matter of milliseconds he found himself too close to Hibari for comfort. He raised a brow. _Is it a new shampoo Hibari-san is now using? He usually smells like green tea and cherries._ He blanched at his thoughts, frantically and uselessly attempting to erase his words because, of course, it wasn't like he actually smelled the Skylark before…if one could overlook those several instances he had "accidentally" gotten too close when Hibari was not minding him with any attention at all.

Alarmed when Hibari began to sway, Tsuna pressed the back of his hand under obsidian bangs. He sighed, his smile curling further, and retreated his hand before Hibari suddenly decided to bite it off. "Your temperature has gone down." _Then, if it's not a fever—_"Concentrate, and compact your energy; you'll be able to stop seeing…" He trailed off when he noticed was already suppressing his power; Tsuna guessed Hibari was simply one of those fast learners, the type Reborn tended to favour when he had lost his patience for the slower ones (which occurred on a daily basis).

Hibari lowered his gaze, giving the brunet a perfect view of the upper, obsidian lashes whilst he shifted his shoulders, straightening and slumping his posture; Tsuna watched the small shadows on the Skylark's cheeks waver their shape when the latter fluttered the owner of them as if to keep at bay a growing discomfort, in turn brewing a slight clenching in Tsuna's chest. "Hibari-san, is something wrong?" _His back, perhaps?_

"I'm fine," grumbled he.

Tsuna drew his brows, annoyance and concern seeping in. _You don't look fine to me at all._ Feeling rather audacious—odd, for the Tenth was known to be wholly tentative and cautious—he pressed his palm between the other's shoulder blades, and Hibari hissed, moving away from the touch.

Cerulean flickered to glower up at the young boss, the silver dancing in the irises twisting and turning Tsuna's insides with a strange heat that slowly rose to taint cheeks pink; Tsuna unconsciously inclined to get a better whiff of that sweet scent radiating off the Skylark. "What do you think you're doing, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

The cool monotone sent shivers across Tsuna's spine—mind, not in fear, but with something entirely foreign; slowly but surely muddling the brunet's common sense, already taking its toll on Tsuna: he leaned down as he cupped a porcelain cheek to draw the owner of it a hair's breath away, eyelids lowering over titian orbs while his mind screamed at him to back away, to halt his movements before he went too far—obviously, the intoxication scent was clouding his judm—no, his self-preservation; it was only a matter of seconds, he was certain, before the prefect begins to bite him to death.

Yet Hibari was unmoving as if entranced with the brownish crimson staring deeply into his azure silver, breath suddenly caught in his throat and palpitations wildly beating at his chest, freezing yet burning his skin. His lips parted to question the proximity between them but his words were lost along with his mind and soul when foreign lips descended upon his. Hibari's eyes widened, whereas Tsuna's closed off the world as the brunet angled his head to deepen the kiss.

A tongue brushed across his lower lip, and, astounded, Hibari gasped, providing the entrance for Tsuna to wonder in and explore, coaxing him to play along by teasingly sliding over Hibari's tongue—a challenge, Hibari interpreted, and, not exactly one to be dominated easily, he joined the dance of sensual twirls and gentle swirls, his soft, breathy moans whenever Tsuna caressed a sensitive spot muffled and responded with a husky hum of appreciation from the other.

They broke away, panting to regain the lost breaths. Tsuna took the chance to examine the light blush tainting the Skylark's cheeks and the sparkling of saliva on crimson lips. He traveled his gaze upwards, and their eyes locked momentarily before Hibari looked away, the blush on the latter's features darkening several shades. Tsuna chuckled at the reaction. _How cute._

Despite his ignited glee, though, he found himself puzzled as to why he was even tempted into such an action. Then, realization of what he had just done sunk in like a crushing boulder into the pit of his stomach, washing all colour till he resembled a transparent ghost—the possessive subordinates (and quite possibly Reborn) of Hibari were sure to murder him for stealing a kiss…a _soul_ kiss. _That is_—he internally smirked—_if they ever find out…and I'll make sure they don't._

Noticing a light quivering shaking the prefect's frame—why he shook Tsuna had a mild suspicion had something to do with their previous action—he wrapped his arms around Hibari's waist, pulling Hibari straddle his lap, and felt the raven stiffen in his embrace. The mellifluous scent heightened further by the limited distance between their bodies, overclouding him entirely once more, and, before his brain was even given the chance to ponder on his words, he proposed, "Be mine—be my lover, and I'll protect you; I'll give you the world." He tightened the embrace, feeling his cheeks flame as he hid them with Hibari's shoulder and his heart flutter and clench—honestly, he had no idea where these emotions were formulating from, and briefly recalled Yamamoto chiming, "Love—I smell it in the air." But he thought and believed his crush on Hibari during their middle school days had long been gone, forgotten in the recess of his mind as a memory of the past. Nonetheless…

_What if time has only made these feelings stronger?_

Hibari was too shocked to even breathe.

…

"Hey, you got that all on tape, right, Romario?"

Romario nodded gravely and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, a sparkle of accomplishment glinting off the lenses. "Yes, Boss."


End file.
